The Sky and the Sea
by Lady Moonglow
Summary: During her first trip to Asgard, the feisty Guardian of Midgard never expected to tumble headfirst into the midst of a sinister threat to its annual celebrations - or to emerge with a steadfast ally, let alone a trusted friend. Nor did she ever expect to face him in NYC a millennium later - on opposing sides of the battlefield. Loki/OC; pre- and post-Thor/Avengers.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **For any readers who're visiting from the HP/HYE-verse - it's been awhile, eh? But after being hit with so many Marvel films in the past two years, I've been stuck with a rather persistent plot bunny that simply will not let me be! So as my first disclaimer, I am not and do not claim to be an expert on Norse mythology, Marvel's Norse mythology, or any kind of mythology, for that matter. Hence the mixing of very broad conceptualizations of Greek and Norse pantheons and legends to satisfy said plot bunny bouncing through my head - as you will see in coming chapters. If any of this bothers you, remember - I did warn you. :)

Since the story is a Loki/OC, it will obviously be a Thor/Avengers AU-fic clear through the end of the Avengers, and disregards the Thor II/Iron Man 3 movies. However, it may (will) help if you've seen Thor/Avengers - I'm trying to keep all the characters as in canon as I can!

I hope those of you who do read on do enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Marvel's and myths. Not mine. Except Gaia's attitude.

**The Sky and the Sea**

**Prologue**

The New York City skyline was painstakingly approaching normalcy. Each day, fewer structures looked as though a large creature had latched itself onto them and bitten down - hard.

All around her, her world rallied from the brink of collapse. New buildings rose from utter destruction. Windows were replaced; walls were patched; steel beams were laid and clean energy injected into the results like a shot of adrenaline. People were healing; moving on.

And Gaia, for 1,172 years the Aesir-appointed Guardian of Midgard, was in the midst of them - clearing debris, healing those she could, giving strength to those she couldn't, bringing life and greenways back to the dust-covered streets, working with architects to interlace the foundations of the tallest buildings with magical support.

Yet, inside her, a small part of her world felt as if it was slowly crumbling.

There was still someone who needed her help. And that someone was the one person she _couldn't_ help.

So Gaia paced.

Back and forth, back and forth, her footsteps leaving a small furrow in the red and gold fabric covering the floor as she gazed out unseeingly on the city from 75 stories above it.

Memories, distant and new, furiously swirled before her vision like storm clouds - of darkness and dirt and chains and blood and blue and guilt and innocence and dancing and laughter and pain, utter pain.

It was happening today. But the Bifrost was still broken, and she was still recovering. As long as it was, and as long as _she_ was, she could not return to Asgard. She couldn't speak for him. Couldn't strengthen him. She couldn't - couldn't _protect - _

"Do you know I got that carpet from King Rainier? You're going to burn a hole in it if you keep walking like that."

"Tony, stop it. She's worried."

"Yeah? I'm worried. That's my favorite carpet." Tony Stark moved from the table projecting a 3D display of the reconstructed Stark Tower and stood in front of Gaia as she paced toward him, his arms held out, trying to stop her path. "Gaia, please - please sit down-" She weaved around him and did an about face, and he followed after her, arms still outstretched in a futile attempt to pull her back. "Here, look, I'll get you a chair. JARVIS? Bring me a chair."

"We're surrounded by couches," Gaia noted wryly, smiling slightly despite herself.

"Yeah, well, you don't seem to like those very much at the moment, so I thought I'd try a different tact. Thank - thank you _so_ much," the dark-haired man sighed with relief as Gaia sighed and dropped down on the nearest wrap-around leather sofa. "Okay. Now just - _stay._ We'll come to you."

Her feet itched to move. She fought the urge to stand and begin walking again. Tony would be appreciative. Indeed, a minute later, he returned to her side, holding out a glass brimming with a distinctly amber alcoholic brew.

She arched an eyebrow at him. _"_Planning to knock me out and carry me to bed over your shoulder to avoid touching the carpet?"

"No. Thanks for the idea, though. Drink up." When she took the glass, he tapped his own tumbler against hers and sat on the other side of the "L" curve on the sofa. "Look, I'm sorry I'm such a nag."

"He is a nag, isn't he?" Pepper threw in, abandoning the architectural plan to sit next to Tony.

"Sometimes I have a hard time relating to people. You know - stunted emotions, and all."

The strawberry blond frowned in an almost motherly fashion and began to tenderly stroke back some unruly dark hair from the side of his face. "Your emotions aren't stunted -"

"Quit lyin' to my face, Pep."

"Okay, maybe a little-"

Gaia's eyes narrowed as she peered from the whiskey to Tony and Pepper, wondering where this was going. As if reading her mind, Tony leaned closer, pointing his finger at Gaia.

"The point is, you, missy, have been on point from the minute you woke up." He placed his hand on her knee, his eyes glittering sincerely. "You've helped us all a thousand times over. You deserve to take some time for yourself." He sat back, gesturing flippantly with his glass. "So you can, you know, spend it all worrying about a mass-murdering demigod who tried to take over our planet."

_"Tony!"_

Pepper locked him with a glare as Gaia's eyebrows flew up in realization. So _that's_ where this was going…

He held up his hands. "It's true, isn't it? Or is it? Gaia, explain this to me, because this is the one thing I'm still not entirely clear on. How are you still _concerned_ about him?"

"Tony, really-"

"No, Pep, I'm really curious. Seriously, is this some kind of - I don't know, Asgardian code? Because even Thor was worried about him, at first. A little. Right when he crashed on the roof of our plane. Though that changed after, you know-" He gestured out the window at the dozens of dizzyingly perched cranes repairing the surrounding buildings. "All of that happened."

He paused for breath. Gaia regarded him calmly, though inside she felt anything but. "Finished?"

Tony blinked. "For the moment."

"Good." She cocked her head at him, counted to three. "So stop talking for that moment and _think._ You were there. You saw what happened."

Tony frowned. "I saw him try to _kill_ you," he said carefully.

Gaia shook her head. "No, that's where you're wrong."

"Um, I'm pretty sure I remember it better than y-"

"What makes you think that Tony's wrong?" Pepper interrupted, giving Tony a Look before fixing her attention on Gaia.

Gaia shrugged easily, the answer one she'd known the moment it had happened. "Because I was already dead."

Pepper looked surprised by the answer, while Tony simply nodded to himself. Gaia could literally _see_ him preparing the argument in his head - his chest puffed slightly when he was ready to go.

"Okay, so let's say that he didn't try to kill you. He just happened to randomly be doing some harmless magic over your unconscious body when I showed up. Let's even-" he laughed slightly, "-let's even go as far as to say he was trying to help you. Let me remind you, this is after he tried to murder his own_ brother _and kill and/or subjugate every other person on Earth. Don't get me wrong, beautiful, I think you're swell and I'm pretty sure everyone else who knows you thinks so, too. But what made you the only person here not worth knocking off to_ him?"_

A grin threatened to overtake her lips. The grin won, though it was tired. She liked Tony - and, of course, by extension, Pepper. But she also knew him well. "No matter what I say, we both know you've already formed a very strong opinion about all of this."

Tony leaned forward, his expression eager. "Hypotheses are made to be disproved, darlin.' Try me."

She considered her options. She'd told no one the whole story - not even Thor. Especially not Thor.

But through Tony's hand on her knee, she could sense that his question was based in a pure thirst for knowledge and answers and nothing more nefarious; she trusted that neither Tony nor Pepper would spill anything to anyone who didn't need to know - Well, even if they did, Gaia wasn't sure it mattered, in the long run.

And, to be honest - saying it out loud might be enough of a distraction to help _her _get through the next 12 hours.

"It's a long story," she said slowly. "Do you really want to hear?"

"Yes," Pepper said immediately as Tony glanced at the clock and said, "Well-"

Pepper elbowed him. Tony sat back and pasted an expression of utmost attention on his face while his girlfriend curled her long legs up onto the couch, clearly getting comfortable.

_Well, here goes. _Gaia threw back the tumbler, grimacing slightly past the burn that tore down her throat, before she set it down on the carpet near her feet. Tony winced, likely trying to ignore the fact that a half-full glass of whiskey was precariously residing on his prized Moroccan rug. The vein that abruptly throbbed at his temple clearly said he wasn't succeeding.

Ignoring him, Gaia took a breath and gazed with narrowed eyes at the skyscrapers beyond the suite's wraparound windows. _So many things to say, so many memories - __Where to even start?_ she wondered.

After a moment, she decided to go with where most stories do - at the very beginning.

_**A/N:**__ I would love and appreciate your feedback - Virtual cookies for your lovely reviews!_


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Thank you bunches and bunches to my lovely reviewers TheFictionFairy, HazelFromBehind, tdeverson77, RavenclawRebel, uckpa and retainwonderland. Your encouragement is so appreciated, and to my readers from the HP-verse - your words about my past work are incredibly kind. I hope I can live up to your expectations! uckpa, to answer your question about Reverse - I unfortunately don't have plans to return to it at the moment. Right now I want to focus entirely on The Sea and the Sky.

And now - a long chapter! I considered breaking it in two, but figured you'd prefer to see some of Gaia's interaction with Asgardian lads sooner rather than later ;-)

**Disclaimer:** All characters but Gaia - not mine!

**Chapter 1**

_900 Midgardian Years Earlier_

Gaia didn't recognize the Queen of Asgard, but the Queen of Asgard certainly recognized her.

When Gaia had entered the throne room - against her will, as traveling via Bifrost had left her ready to shed the oppressive awkwardness of the formal gown she wore, curl up in a ball on the grass of the nearest courtyard, and collapse into sleep - the blond woman had been sitting absently on the throne at the head of the cavernous hall. The moment Gaia's name had been announced, however, she had perked up, then _leapt_ up.

"My sweet little Gaia?" Her surprise echoed across the empty expanse. "It cannot be!"

Gaia frowned._ I thought I had indicated I was coming…_

She was surprised into thoughtlessness when the woman abruptly took off down the golden stairs and across the length of the room toward her - all while wearing a flaming red, bejeweled gown fit for a ruler of the realm. That feat alone was impressive - Gaia winced at the thought of running anywhere in her own dress, designed to interact with Midgardian monarchs in the blustery cold of early spring that Gaia had only just left. The woman only slowed slightly when she neared, her radiant skin glowing as she panted for breath.

"Sweet Valhalla," she breathed, blue-gray eyes moving across Gaia's face. "You are at once the both of them."

And before she knew what was happening, the Queen of Asgard had flung herself on Gaia in a tight hug.

Her eyebrows flew up in shock. "Oh - hello-"

The woman squeezed her harder. "Oh my dear - it has been far too long!"

_Just go with it, _Gaia thought - the mantra she'd followed since she'd set foot - i.e. crash landed - on Asgard only an hour earlier, only to immediately be whisked away in a fine carriage along a magnificent sparkling bridge and past gates more massive than even those set within the Middle Kingdom's Great Wall, winding through a city rivaled only by perhaps the now-crumbling architecture of Rome.

Sensing the woman's sincerity, she warmly returned the hug, trying to remember exactly how they were related. Her mother's cousin. That would make them second - no, third cousins… well, unless Frigg had been her mother's first -

"Stand back, let me look at you," Frigg said gently, stepping away to hold Gaia at arm's length. "Good Valhalla, how you've grown," she breathed in amazement, shaking her head. "When I last saw you, you were but a slip of your size!" With a an elegant swoop, she bent down and momentarily held her hand at knee's length to demonstrate. "Though as spirited and precocious as ever. Racing about this very room trying to pull the legs out from beneath my Thor."

Gaia laughed, shaking her head. "It sounds like something I would do. The attempts were soundly foiled, I take it?"

Frigg straightened, her long braid slipping over her shoulder. "Oh, he let you believe you bested him, once or twice," she said, her eyes sparkling. "You were quite triumphant, if I recall. But-" Her gaze traveled beyond Gaia, and her expression sobered.

Gaia frowned, looked over her shoulder. The hall was empty. She looked back at Frigg to find the woman frowning at her.

"Gaia, wherever is your mother?"

Her heart stopped.

Of all the questions she had anticipated - about her childhood, about the politics and stability of Midgard -

That was not one of them.

Her heart began to beat again, but erratically. Her lips parted, but she strangely found she could not form words. She could only gaze with wide eyes into Frigg's confused ones. From her expression alone, Gaia realized with something akin to a lightening shock -

_They had no idea._

They, who her mother had told her could see all.

"She has passed." The words emerged from her mouth before she realized she was speaking. "She has passed beyond."

The color swiftly drained from the older woman's face. "She has - what?"

A curious mix of emotion bubbled inside her - astonishment, confusion and a hurt so profound she couldn't quite breathe normally. "I - I sent word. As soon as it happened. Through the Bifrost."

Frigg pressed her lips together, shook her head. "We did not receive it." Her gaze shifted from Gaia's to search the ground in front of her desperately, focused and yet unseeing, as if the answers to the most devastating secrets of the Universe were present between the stones if only she stared hard enough.

After a moment, she inhaled deeply and lifted her head to look back at Gaia. Her eyes were glistening.

"Oh, Gaia," she breathed. "How long?"

The profound sadness that seeped from her being wrenched through Gaia's stomach like an old knife wound she'd thought had long since healed.

With an abrupt ferocity, tears seared her eyes.

She turned away quickly, blinking back the sting. "Two hundred years," she whispered.

"Two _hundred-?"_

Frigg pressed the edge of her fist to her mouth, and with her other hand gripped the purple jewel of a golden necklace that dangled from her neck, her knuckles white. Inhaling once, sharply, Gaia mentally composed herself, eyes still burning, in time to see a single tear slip down the monarch's cheek.

"I wish I could say this is the first time a great loss has been shadowed from even Heimdall's sight, but it is not," she said at last. "I've told my husband we need to improve our connection with the Middle Realms. Oh, my dear, we could have sent you aid- support-"

As quickly as it had cleared, Gaia's vision again blurred before her in a painful wave. She pressed her lips together against the deluge. "No. Believe me, there is nothing you could have done." She took a breath, then another. "She and I have both found peace, and Midgard has fared better since."

They had. _We have, _she thought.

The comfort of that knowledge spread through her like a warm drink on a frigid night. Slowly, her vision cleared. She released a breath. The emotions that gripped her eyes subsided.

She was again at peace.

But looking beside her, Gaia knew that the struggle for peace in the woman who had greeted her so warmly had only just begun.

She stepped closer to her cousin and gently took her hand, felt Frigg's confusion and anger and grief as if it was her own.

"Cousin, I understand what you feel. I know you and she were close," she said softly. "But truly, she would not want this to cloud such celebrations. You remember her nature!"

Frigg let out the smallest of snorts. "Ridiculous."

"She was indeed." A fond smile tugged at her eyes. "She told me all about what she did at your wedding feast."

"She did, did she." Frigg huffed slightly. "She thought the entire scheme was _amusing."_

_"I _thought it was amusing," Gaia admitted.

"I'm sure by her account it transpired quite differently than how I remember it. By the time the evening closed, I swore I'd kill her," the Asgardian Queen muttered with some ferocity…

And began to sob.

Gaia moved without hesitation, pulling Frigg to her, the hug as tight but entirely different from the embrace they had shared only minutes earlier. Her cousin clutched at her, grief radiating from her skin, surging through them both, and Gaia willed as much of her comfort and love to encompass her cousin as the pain the woman was sending out.

She'd been silly to worry that she wouldn't fit in with her Aesir kin. Midgardian or Aesir, Elven or Jotunn - they were really no different. They were all emotional beings who sought connection. And love.

Just like Gaia sought to create it.

She pulled back from Frigg slightly, gently placed her hand over the Queen's heart. "You know she will always be _here, _for you to hold as long as you need - " Frigg choked in a sharp breath, "-and, one day, for you to release." Gaia grasped her cousin's shoulder in understanding and smiled encouragingly. "Frigg, do not let this news shadow your weeks ahead."

Frigg's watery eyes burned into hers. Weakly, her lips twitched upward. "You have her face," she murmured. Abruptly, she took both Gaia's hands in hers; gripped them tightly. In a truly impressive transformation that took only a matter of seconds, she breathed deeply, cleared her throat; revived her smile with a skill that could only be bred from centuries of carefully securing her emotions.

"Child, you truly are a wonder. Believe me when I say your presence comforts me greatly. All our souls will fare better for having you here."

The warmth and sincerity in Frigg's expression so mirrored those of the woman they had both loved deeply that they struck through straight to Gaia's heart. "On the contrary, I believe it's _my _soul that will fare better for being with all of you."

"Oh, and so charming!" Frigg swiped her eyes and then nudged Gaia playfully, tucking her arm into hers. "Come now. Walk with me through the gardens; they must be nearly ready for the Jubilee."

Frigg led her down the width of the throne room and through a side door, down a stark but soaring hallway and out a delicately set archway into stunning gardens. Flowers and perfectly manicured terraces stretched as far as the eye could see into the valley beyond, a waterfall cascading to the valley floor from the rock face to the west. In the nearest courtyards, servants whirled by carrying tables and trays, white silks and pure white flower garlands - apparently not quite as finished decorating as Frigg had hoped.

Gaia was instantly struck with conflicting but equally compelling urges to race through what were surely miles of hedges and to roll in ecstasy in the lush grass.

For a moment, her eyelids drooped, and she remembered the rush of the Bifrost.

_Or collapse to the ground in a deep sleep._

"You like them?" the Queen asked as they descended a marble staircase to the grassy wonderland, looking over at her with a knowing smile. Women in simple, flowing amber gowns and men in fetching umber slacks and tunics bowed or curtsied hastily to them as they passed before hurrying on.

"Like is an understatement. They're lovely. I may never re-emerge."

Frigg chuckled. "Then you will surely disappoint every man here these two weeks." At Gaia's splutter, Frigg turned to face her, her eyes sweeping over her young cousin from head to foot. "Laugh while you can, Gaia; you've become a beautiful young woman. Has no Midgardian man yet swept you off your feet?"

The ruggedly handsome face of her most recently failed suitor popped in her head, and she scoffed. Handsome, well-spoken - and completely unable to even look a seagull in the face without diving under a log in terror. Which had been quite inconvenient for him, as they had been on the coast of Britain. Full-out giggles escaped her lips before she could stop them.

"Oh, they've tried. I cannot even _begin_ to tell you…" She shook her head and chortled again in remembrance, this time a bit evilly.

"You do not wish to court?"

"If I found someone who truly interested me, of course I would. But - Well, as you can imagine, keeping an eye on Midgard isn't exactly a stroll through the gardens. I've been far too busy to even consider… _mating."_

At the very word, she held back a shudder. Yes, the thought of having children now was enough to make her skin tingle. She noticed Frigg hide a smile. "Cousin, you do realize you will be introduced to the court at a Coming of Age Jubilee, the very purpose of which is to encourage affections between the realm's most eligible young people? And with your magnificent red hair?" She waved her hand flippantly. "I guarantee every man will wish to court you. Every woman will wish to make your acquaintance."

Gaia let out a small bark of laughter at the absurdity of it, and then another at Frigg's serious expression. "Oh, now you're deliberately making fun!"

Frigg gazed at her steadily. "Only slightly; your allure is far greater than simply the color of your hair. In all truth, I wish I were; I remember well my own Coming of Age Jubilees, and I assure you it would save you much dramatics in the coming weeks."

Gaia took a breath, calming her giggles. "Well, we can both be at ease, then; I didn't travel halfway across the universe to fight over some man."

"Oh, I think it will be quite the opposite, dear." The Asgardian Queen's eyes became distant for a moment, as if in memory, or in vision, before she focused back on Gaia with a bright smile. "Now. The servants have already seen your things to your chambers. Please, make yourself at home here. I promise my family and I will personally see to it that your first visit to Asgard is one you shall never forget. Are you hungry? Do you wish tour the palace? Or see more of the grounds?"

At the mention of her chambers, Gaia's heart leapt. Her eyelids again drooped. "To be honest - and I mean no insult to the quality of your company in the slightest, but -" she narrowly suppressed a yawn and smiled sheepishly. "Is there anywhere I could take a nap?"

* * *

Gaia gasped and sat straight up with a start, heart pounding. She looked around wildly - she had been _so_ sure she'd heard a shout…

Her senses met with not a wide expanse of smooth wood and branches and the scent of pine, but with a commodious chamber of whites and blues and the fragrance of sweet blossoms.

_Asgard._

She relaxed, furrowing her brow thoughtfully. She remembered walking with Frigg back through the gardens - being shown to her chambers, which could have been a small house in themselves -

Collapsing on the massive and utterly beguiling bed.

_Oh._

She yawned and flopped back down, burrowing into the soft mattress. This was the first vacation she'd taken in over three centuries. As far as she could tell, it had been one of the best ideas she'd had since she'd thought to capture, in pinched glass vials, specific amounts of sand from her beloved beaches to help Midgardians keep track of the time they held so dear.

Sighing happily, she stretched out, reaching toward the distant backboard. She could almost touch it… she could…

"Oh! Look there!"

She froze, her fingers within an inch of their objective. Her gaze leapt beyond the foot of the bed, across a white marble floor and past sheer drapery blowing backward in the wind to reveal a wide circular balcony bordered by great stone columns and the azure sky beyond.

The shout had sounded as though it was right outside the ledge.

"Great Valhalla! Would you look at the legs on that one!"

Crowing and guffaws followed the statement.

_Yes, definitely right outside, _she thought, heaving herself up. Absently, she rubbed a hand through the hair she had loosened down her back and straightened her dress - the moment she had been left alone in her room, she had quickly transformed it from heavy layers to a simple, bare-armed blue silk gown that tied at her waist and clung to her sides as it tumbled to the floor.

Had she slept so long that she'd missed the Jubilee's start? Frigg had mention something about an equestrian show…

Curiously, she crossed the room and brushed the soft fabric aside, stepping into warm sunshine that felt a far cry from the late winter domain she'd left only that morning. The view was stunning - the city and shimmering Bifrost to her right and the grand palace entrance to her left. But the mid-afternoon sun was high in the southern sky, so - no, unless she'd slept an entire day and night, which she highly doubted, then the other guests should still just be arriving.

"Look there! A ten, surely!"

Her head whirled toward the cry - but, to her left, the balcony was empty.

"Which? You mean the one clad in scarlet and gold, looking for all the realm as if Idun's apples themselves had wrapped her in an everlasting embrace?"

Either they were invisible - a rare ability; she doubted it - or they must have been _right there._

Surreptitiously, Gaia leaned out slightly past the smooth curve of the column and peered to the left.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Only a stone's throw beyond her balcony was another, just as large, though it was set slightly lower than hers, as if two or three stairs would be needed to descend from her room to whatever part of the palace directly bordered it. On it, a group of well-dressed men were lazily leaning on a ledge, goblets in hand filled with drink.

The tallest man, big and broad with gleaming golden hair, laughed heartily. "Ah, Fandral, my friend, had I not known you better, your words would make me suspect you'd broken into my youngest brother's poetry collection. I myself was taken with the green - I'm glad the one in red shall do for you."

"Splendid; then we needn't fight for them. Though I of course would win - You know not even _you_ can spin sentences as sweet as the most succulent fruits of the seven realms as I, my Lord," said a particularly dashing blond-haired man standing nearest her.

The "lord" chuckled happily. "And we all know there's no better an opportunity to wield our words and not our weapons than - when? Let me hear it, friends -"

"The Coming of Age Jubilee," they all responded dutifully.

"Here here," exclaimed a bearded man who was quite wide of girth, shoving his goblet up into the air in toast.

Suddenly, a fair-haired teenager who was visibly younger than the rest gasped. "Sweet Valhalla and all the Valkyries - a vision has just emerged! Quick - the looking glass!"

As one, the attention of the five snapped to what seemed to be the same location. After some bumbling between them and a flash of sun off smooth metal, the boy with the freckled face and a devout expression raised a slender silver spyglass to his eye.

Frowning, Gaia followed their gaze to the primary palace entrance - and saw a group of beautifully-dressed women spilling like liquid gold from three carriages, bejeweled gowns streaming behind them.

A wicked smirk instantly broke across her face, and she fought to restrain a laugh. _Oh, men,_ she thought in amusement. Whether from Midgard, Asgard, Alfheim, Jotenheim- _There are fewer differences between you than you know._

Now that it was quite clear the lot of them probably wouldn't be looking her way anytime soon, she crossed her arms and leaned her left shoulder against the column, surveying them curiously. Having been raised on Midgard with only her mother, she'd never seen any young Aesir men - or women - in action before.

Recalling Frigg's words from the garden, she held back a chuckle. _Right, better to scope out the adversaries before they attack. _

The broad blond one chortled again and clapped the shoulder of the lovestruck young one beside him. "Will it be she you woo tonight, then, brother? Or the magnificent redhead with whom you were so taken earlier?"

For whatever had happened earlier, the younger one looked fully enamored now. With the greatest of struggles, he lowered the spyglass. "I cannot see how I could ever deviate from the devotion that draws me so strongly to the maiden below," he said earnestly.

Gaia held back a snort and rolled her eyes, making a mental note to steer clear of the starry-eyed, fair-haired youth when the proceedings began.

"Clearly you and he _have_ been reading from the same poetry book," a dark-haired man with a warrior's build muttered to Fandral, who immediately took a swipe at him, swaying slightly. "Be _silent_, Hogun - you are the last I expected to reveal my secrets!"

The giant bearded one patted the young one on the back. "Now now, your Highness, I suggest you not narrow you prospects so prematurely." Gaia's ears perked up at the title of royalty as he continued, "Half the women have not yet even arrived! Take your time; be sure to enjoy them all before you make a decision." He elbowed the boy slightly. "Give the elder Highness some sorely needed competition, eh?"

Gaia quickly shifted her attention back to the Golden Duo in surprise. So _these_ were the men every woman of every realm had dreams of wooing - the men even her _mother_ had encouraged her to woo?

Well, they were certainly both good-looking, she'd give them that.

The broad one - _Prince Thor, _she realized - laughed again. "No need for competition, Volstagg, there's plenty of women to go around! His advice is wise, though, Balder," he continued in a serious voice - until a playful grin broke across his face. "I've certainly enjoyed following it these many years!"

He gleefully slammed his hands down on the balustrade in emphasis. His goblet crashed on the balcony floor, and Gaia suddenly noticed two jugs near the men's feet so large they nearly reached their knees - no small feat, for even with the balcony's drop in height, the men were almost as tall as she. One of the jugs was laying on its side, clearly already emptied.

_They're drunk! _she realized.

Well, that explained a lot.

The younger did not look amused by his brother's words.

"I disagree, brother, and respectfully so, Volstagg," Prince Balder said with a firm shake of his head. "Women should not be treated as basic commodities, to be used and discarded. They are luxuries - no, angels of the highest order! - to be showered with gifts and worshipped unconditionally-"

_Oh dear god, _Gaia thought in disgust, bringing one hand up to her forehead to bury her face in it.

"-which would explain why none of you have settled with one yet," he finished with a condescending frown.

Thor exchanged amused glances with Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun. "Oh, my sweet, guileless brother - Your idealism is utterly charming. Perhaps you will be competition after all!"

They all burst into laughter, except Balder, who looked righteously indignant.

_Note to self: avoid advances by both drunk Princes at all costs._

Looking between the five of them, Gaia felt slightly concerned about the prospects of finding _anyone_ halfway companionable to speak with at the upcoming festivities.

Suddenly, another recollection from her encounter with Frigg flashed through her mind.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Or - would she even have the chance?

_Frigg promptly led Gaia through the courtyards back to the palace, weaving around chairs and tables laced with white flowers and covered with pearl-color cloth. The color seemed to be everywhere._

_"Why white?" she asked._

_Frigg smiled. "The color of Balder - my youngest. He has come of age this year." She reached out toward a yet-unfastened length of milky-colored silk billowing in the wind. "The Jubilee is in his - "_

_Abruptly, she staggered to a stop, clutching the silk. Her faced drained of all color; her knees faltered._

_"Frigg!" Gaia leapt beside her, grasping the older woman's forearm before she could collapse entirely. With one hand, she blindly grasped at the back of a chair and pulled it toward her, guiding her cousin into it. The servants swarmed, but she waved them away. "Frigg? What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, it is-" She trailed off, breathing heavily. After a moment, she took a breath and straightened. "Really. I'm alright, dear." _

_"With all due respect, you were not alright."_

_At Gaia's penetrating gaze, her cousin sighed and held a hand to her forehead. "I just had a - feeling. I've had several recently, all similar, but - none this strong. I fear…"_

_Gaia's stomach tripped when she did not continue - she didn't realize how closely she'd been hanging on to Frigg's words. She frowned. "You fear - what?" _

_Frigg shook her head and smiled at her tiredly. "Nothing. Truly, Gaia, it is nothing; just an old woman having bad dreams. Forgive me, I should not trouble you with these things. You mustn't tell anyone; it likely means nothing at all."_

_Unfortunately for Frigg, in that moment, she was as terrible an actor as Gaia's father. _

_Gaia knew instantly she was lying._

Frowning pensively, Gaia glanced back down at the next group of vividly-attired Aesirs gliding up the steps to the great foyer, one ear fixed on her balcony-mates as they continued their drunken commentary of their objects of affection as if the women were little more than prized stallions to be judged.

Her mother had told her Frigg had premonitions. And, for all Frigg's words, Gaia had sensed her worry, and it had been strong.

_Of course the very moment I decide to visit Asgard, something ominous has to threaten._

But what ill could _possibly_ be done at an innocent Coming of Age celebration?

Her gaze returned to the newest arrivals, four young women, and, for the first time, three men, all chatting brightly amongst themselves.

At a celebration at which every young courtier and royal heir in the realm was present?

_A Hel of a lot, _she thought.

A jovial laugh extinguished her musings -_ probably_ _Thor, _her mind deduced quickly. Indeed, the man dressed in the same bright red as his mother pointed again, now in possession of the spyglass. "Oh! What a wonderful creature she is! Those eyes, those hips, those -_ oh."_

" 'Oh?' " Fandral reached over and snatched up the spyglass, bringing it to his eye. His mouth dropped. _"Ohhhh."_

" 'Oh' _what?"_ On cue, Volstagg next snatched at the device. _"Great Valhalla!"_

Thor laughed again, his deep baritone resonating off the palace walls. "My friends, I do _so_ enjoy the Coming of Age Jubilee!"

_I'm sure you do_, Gaia thought with a smirk.

Thor's joyful shout had been loud enough to capture the notice of the object of his attention, a woman sheathed in ivory chiffon. Almost comically, the woman's eyes widened in surprise, and she grabbed the arm of a comrade beside her and wrenched her around. Soon, all four women were waving coyly at the balcony, giggling and twittering.

Simultaneously, the Princes Two & Entourage smiled charmingly and waggled their fingers back, Thor grasping the spyglass behind his back and out of sight.

This time, she couldn't hold back a small snort. Grown men trapped in adolescence. Of the few Aesirs she'd met in her day, many were older, living with her father on Alfheim. And for being Royalty and Friends, the five here could have made quite the side living as court jesters. She found herself torn between amusement and disgust. Yes, they were a bit crude, but they were also a bit… innocently endearing.

_Only a bit, _her mind emphasized.

Gaia did not know if anything would come of Frigg's vague premonition. And she'd certainly rather not have dark clouds brew and storm over her vacation. But well - her instinct was to _protect._ Frigg had quickly become the family to Gaia that she legitimately was. Gaia had no doubt she would befriend many more. _Perhaps even these buffoons,_ she thought wryly with a brief glance toward the five - once they were sober, at least.

No harm would come to them, she resolved. At least, not while she was here.

_It will be nothing_, _you'll see,_ a part of her thought optimistically, echoing Frigg's own words.

But it wouldn't hurt to stay alert.

Another burst of _ooo_-ing and laughter emerged from the balcony beyond, and she saw Fandral splutter, wine spilling from his goblet and down the front of his shirt. "A six! Surely you jest, Volstagg! She is at least a nine!"

_Yggdrasil's roots, _she thought with a groan, shaking her head. Endearing or not, the Paramours of Asgard were five Aesirs she certainly would never want to court. Was _this_ what she'd gotten herself into when she'd received her regular invitation to the annual Coming of Age Jubilee and had decided it was finally time to experience her birth realm and socialize with her kind? Two weeks of debauchery or rotation on a chivalrous pedestal?

_Now, Gaia, just because you're going to look out for them certainly doesn't mean you have to _**_marry_**_ them_.

"A nine! Have her breasts so blinded you that you do not see her legs?"

_And thank Yggdrasil and all the spirits for that. _

For a moment, she buried her forehead in her palm. If the princes and lords of the realm were behaving like apes, she could only imagine what the other young Asgardians were like. And for as wildly entertaining in a Stereotypical-Males-To-Never-Take-Seriously way as they all were, Gaia decided a hasty exit would be best.

She feared she might lose her impulse to assist Aesirkind if she didn't.

With quiet steps, she moved back past the pearl drapes and toward her trunks, enlarged from their more manageable traveling size and set neatly at the foot of her bed. Kneeling beside the biggest of the three, she turned it toward her. It was suspiciously light. Frowing, she opened it -

Her clothes were gone.

She narrowed her eyes at the vacant container before the realization hit her.

_Ah._

Servants.

_Always a strange experience, _she thought, glancing around to see if any had happened to wander in while she was had been standing outside. Unfortunately, she could still hear every word the men outside were saying, and the vocal conversationists on the balcony beside her chattered on happily, unaware their words were flowing right into her room.

"It's unfortunate Loki is not here to enjoy this," Thor remarked. He chuckled. "We're certainly enjoying his spyglass, after all."

As she put the trunk away, she vaguely recognized the new name as that of the middle Asgardian Prince. Sitting back on her haunches, she glanced around the bedroom. Her gaze landed on a bookcase laden with tomes to the left of the balcony.

As if by enchantment, she felt her spirits brighten.

"He would not enjoy this," Balder commented mildly as Gaia eagerly padded across the room. "To how many of these celebrations past have you invited him, and he refused?"

"Do you suppose he also uses this tool to snoop on women?" Fandral mused.

"Prince Loki? I would think not; he wants nothing to do with them," said Hogun.

"Or they with him," Volstagg chuckled.

Someone huffed. It turned out to be Fandral. "What a terrible waste of such a wonderfully useful contraption. Thank the All-Father we came across it before it withered beneath the strain of neglect."

Even from within the chamber, Gaia could hear a heavy sigh, and discovered a moment later it was Thor. "Come now, brother, friends, not everyone is as competent with the fairer sex as we five. Not one woman interacted with Loki at his own Jubilee, nor any at any after. Can you blame him for disliking those who have scorned him?"

"With the memory of what he did to Sif's hair fresh in their memories and knowledge of the sorcery and mischief he's worked since, can you blame the lasses for avoiding the one who mocks and frightens them?" Volstagg retorted.

At that, Gaia paused, her fingers hovering over the spines of the books. A frown tugged at her lips. She didn't know what happened to Sif's hair, but would Prince Loki's dislike for the celebrations lead him to do something - rash?

Or - from the sounds of it - calculated?

Abruptly, the distant sound of someone clearing their throat from a direction other than the balcony caught her ears. Quickly, she glanced left to see an intricately carved pine door set in the wall a few feet from where she stood. The sound must have come from just beyond it.

"Ah, Loki!" Thor exclaimed, his voice exceedingly cheerful. "My brother, how good of you to join us!"

Gaia's eyebrows few up. _Awk-ward._

She glanced between the bookcase and the door, reluctantly lowering her hand from where it rested on _Asgardian Seas: An Anthology. _Though a part of her felt as though she were about to invade upon what would surely be a private sparring match, hearing Loki's words might reveal if he truly was a viable threat.

And really, talking that loudly right outside her chambers - well, they were asking for it.

Without much hesitation, she moved alongside the door and focused on hearing every word of the conversation that would follow on the other side of it.

_Oh, this should be good._

**A/N: **The virtual review cookie monster returns! Would love to hear your thoughts on this two-parter. All the thanks in the world for reading! x


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Many sincere thanks to **WhiteprincessofIreland, who-need's-a-hero12, Katelyn852** and **tdeverson7** for your very kind words and reviews; they mean a lot to me and help me know I'm on the right track! You're all wonderful!

**Disclaimer: **All characters but Gaia - not mine!

**Chapter 2**

"Brother. I believe you have something of mine," a new voice returned, one as smooth and quiet as the glassy surface of a Norwegian fjord at sunrise. Quickly sweeping her long hair behind her ears and over her shoulder, Gaia leaned closer to the door; she had to extend her hearing considerably more than the other men to discern him.

The sound of footsteps became audible, as if at least two of them were moving from the balcony to what she imagined was a public corridor if this doorway opened to it, even if it hadn't been the primary entrance through which servants had led her earlier that day.

"Ah, the spyglass?" Thor sounded as innocent as a babe caught with his tiny fingers in a jar of sweets - or massive paw in a jug of wine. "Yes! It was sitting unused in your quarters; we just thought we'd use it briefly."

There was a pause. "I don't follow; why were you all in my quarters?"

"Looking for you, of course. To invite you here - To join us. You were not there, of course."

"Ah." Loki sounded doubtful.

"Brother. You have my solemn word we'll return it by evening."

"By evening." Loki echoed. His melodic tone suddenly became stiff. "You do realize that is not just a simple spyglass?"

She heard the sound of several men trying and at least one failing to hide guffaws. "As we've been absolutely de-_lighted_ to discover," Fandral's voice chortled.

"It spies women tall and women fair, women's legs and women's hair! It spies _allll!" _a hearty voice bellowed in a terribly off-tune melody - Volstagg, obviously.

"Not one of you are even remotely sober enough to handle it carefully." Loki sounded disgusted, considerable aggravation audibly palpable in his voice. "I'd like it returned now, if you don't mind."

Someone humphed. It was Volstagg. "With due respect, Your Highness, if it's so valuable, you'd think whoever made it would have done a better job of making it unbreakable," he pointed out.

"He has a point, brother."

"Thor. I mean it. Give it back."

"Or what - you'll weave your black magic on us?" she faintly heard Volstagg, clearly an instigator, rumble under his breath. Gaia frowned at his chosen snub; she didn't think magic was forbidden or disrespected on Asgard…

"Now, Volstagg-" Thor began warningly.

The sound of loud expletives and pottery smashing against stone interrupted him. At first, Gaia thought Volstagg had flung himself at Loki until she heard him bellow, "Why, you little-"

"My friend, restrain yourself!" Thor exclaimed.

Swiftly Gaia placed her hand flat against the surface of the door, closing her eyes and nimbly reaching out with her magic. In a swirl of warmth, she connected with the wood's core in an instant.

_Will you share with me what you see? _she whispered. The words were ancient, the language of the primordial gods formed at the dawn of all time and space. It was all but lost now, but it had been taught to her in songs and stories as a child as she sat on her father's knee.

She held her breath.

_We will, _a soft voice answered.

She grinned briefly, though at the clear sounds of a scuffle, her stomach urged the door to move more quickly. After a brief hesitation, a square of wood beneath her hand and before her eyes dissolved to reveal a long, bright hallway that stretched to a dark door in the far distance and was lined on its right with great columns; between the pillars, light streamed through, as if not walls but open air formed one length of the corridor.

Down three broad sandstone steps and literally a horse's length from her door, Thor was physically holding back a red-faced Volstagg from a tall, slender man in green and black who was standing within the depths of the hallway watching with an amused expression.

Volstagg struggled in Thor's grasp. "That - that was my _favorite—"_

From outside the palace, a trumped sounded.

"Oh, excellent, more guests have arrived," Fandral said quickly, grabbing Volstagg by the collar. "Come, my friend, let the gentlewomen of the realm soothe your ache; they have that gift." He firmly yanked him backward into Thor -

Abruptly, the spyglass crashed hard to the marble floor. The sound of shattering glass echoed down the hallway.

Gaia's breath caught. Even Volstagg froze. A moment later, he wrenched himself from Thor's grasp, ha-_rumphing_ and shooting Loki a vexed but self-satisfied look before turning and stalking back out on the balcony, Fandral hastily following behind.

Now only Thor and Loki remained within her line of sight. For a moment, she wondered if she'd remembered her facts incorrectly. _These men are_**_ brothers? _**she thought in amazement. Loki's hair was dark, his skin pale. He looked absolutely nothing like the broad, golden-haired, ruddy-cheeked man before him - nor like Balder, for that matter, who was a clear leaf out of Thor's book. But, no, Thor had referred to him as "brother" more than once throughout that conversation…

Thor's expression was a mix between exasperation and sympathy. Loki looked stunned.

After a moment, the bear of a man stepped closer, closing the few feet between the balcony entrance and his rigid brother.

"Really, Loki?" he asked, leaning forward and whispering, as if hoping Volstagg wouldn't hear, "His late grandfather won that in a barfight between a dwarf and an elf; that was the stuff of legend."

Loki quickly stepped away from him. "That was a simple _mug,_ Thor; that spyglass was invaluable! Or have you forgotten how it helped us escape with our lives in Svartalfheim?"

"Oh, come, brother! I've seen your tricks; you can easily fix that!"

"I cannot "easily fix it;" it was forged with protection spells that not even I-"

"Sweet Valkyries of Valhalla, my Lord, it's a caravan full of them," Fandral's voice suddenly exclaimed, slightly muffled, from on the balcony. Thor glanced back toward it. "Come quickly!"

Loki closed his mouth. He crossed his arms, shoving his chin downward. "Never mind," he murmured tightly.

Thor looked back at him quickly and grinned broadly. "That's the spirit! It is only an object; it can be replaced." He clapped him so hard on the shoulder that Loki rocked sideways. "Now, is there anything else?"

His jaw tense, Loki turned his gaze away from his brother - and stared _straight at her._ Gaia froze, remembering with a jolt akin to a knife in her gut that he could also do magic; did he, an Aesir, actually have the talent to sense hers as well?

But his pale eyes remained blank and hard, as if he was simply staring down the door.

She relaxed.

"Father wishes to see you and Balder in the Throne Room before the welcome banquet," he said flatly.

Thor chuckled heartily. "To inform us of which of the arriving women are most eligible, no doubt." When Loki didn't respond or even move, Thor studied him, visibly puzzled. "Does he not wish to speak with you as well?"

"Not everyone is as competent with the fairer sex as the five of you," Loki said in an imitation of Thor's words from earlier, sounding as if he was speaking through gritted teeth.

For a moment, Thor looked hurt, before he sighed. "I only meant to defend you."

"It is a poor defense if the words still sting," Loki said quietly.

Thor glanced at him, opened his mouth, closed it. "Balder!" he abruptly shouted over his shoulder. "Father wishes to speak with us before supper!"

"Very well, brother!"

Another moment of silence passed in which Thor gazed at Loki regretfully and Loki stared at the wall. It looked to Gaia as though Thor could take the tension between them no longer; he again reached out and grasped his brother's shoulder, more gently than the first time. "Loki, you have my apologies, on behalf of us all. I promise you, I will acquire you another spyglass when we come across it." His expression and stance emanated confidence and sincerity, as if he had absolutely no doubts the suggestion would make things up satisfactorily.

Loki glanced at him briefly before looking away again. He nodded once, his jaw tight.

Thor smiled and squeezed his shoulder, then whirled and strode back out to the balcony. "My friends! What did I miss?"

Once Thor had gone, Loki stood motionlessly for several seconds. Then, lifting one hand to his forehead, he sank to the floor. With his other hand, he stretched out long, spindly fingers toward the balcony. After a moment, the spyglass and shards of glass slowly slid across the smooth sandstone floor to him.

Gaia observed his magic with interest. She hadn't met many Aesirs, but of those she had, few men had had the capability to do it; in many societies, Asgardian or otherwise, it was often looked to as a woman's art, though she didn't see why, as she had found it entirely useful in battle. _Of course_, she thought with an irritated sigh.

Between her thoughts and the laughter and exclamations that rang out from the balcony, Gaia almost didn't hear Loki whisper, "No other exists for you to find, brother."

His smooth voice suddenly cracked.

Compassion and understanding gripped her.

No matter what he was like normally, right now, crouched as he was beside the pillar on the other side of the balcony with an air of utter dejection about his form, Gaia could tell he was not a threat.

Before she realized what she was doing, she'd stood and pulled open her door.

Abruptly, Loki's head shot up. His back went rigid, shoulders snapping to attention.

For a moment, she cursed the sensation that had compelled her to move. _Great thinking, Gaia; if he didn't know you were eavesdropping before, he probably does now._

He stared at her, unmoving.

Well, she had to do_ something._

Slowly, carefully, she descended the steps and crossed past the recesses of the crowded balcony, glancing once toward the patio as she did. Like hers, it was covered with a swath of billowing white curtains. Subtly, she reached out her magic to the air around her, sensing it, _immersing_ herself in it.

_Keep us silent from them, _she whispered, hoping it would oblige. She had no idea what was going to unfold, but adding to it a run-in with the five intoxicated inamoratos was not particularly high on her list.

As she reached the pillar he knelt beside, Loki resumed movement, silently focusing on the silver device on the floor and resting tapered fingers on it. Oddly, he said nothing.

Gaia cocked her head at the spyglass; it certainly looked every inch an ordinary telescope to her, but its silver shimmered with an otherworldly sheen. "Why can you not fix it?" she asked. Even with the ruckus on the balcony - clearly they'd abandoned all stealth - her voice sounded loud.

His shoulders raised and lowered once in a sigh. "It is specifically enchanted so that the glass cannot be manipulated, not even to repair it," he said eventually. He finally looked up at her with unreadable green eyes that were almost so pale their color was indistinguishable. "The - magic is not of this kind or this realm. Impenetrable."

His tongue tripped to hurry over the words "enchanted" and "magic," as if it was somehow inappropriate to mention them in general conversation, and she again recalled the comment Volstagg had used that had launched the entire mess in the first place. She filed away the observations for later exploration and considered the rest of Loki's words. She had only heard of one kind of glass whose origins were still swathed in mystery.

"Maliketh's Lock," she said.

He blinked at her, visibly taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Gaia crouched down beside him, twisting her hair into a manageable coil and shoving it back over her shoulder. "Maliketh's Lock, one of the strongest protection enchantments in all the realms. Often even the greatest sorceresses in existence cannot break through it. The lens in your spyglass was forged by dwarves. But the spell - that was placed by the elves of Svartalfheim." No doubt the dwarves had made an agreement with them to ensure the glass was protected from replication. She glanced at Loki and raised her eyebrows. "Somehow I get the feeling they wouldn't part with this willingly."

His eyes darted to her right, toward the balcony, and then back to her, something indecipherable but tangible simmering in their depths. "I found they did need a bit of persuasion."

For a split second, a face darker than the most obsolete depths of the universe and pale, glowing eyes bore cruelly into hers. Her breath hitched; her stomach clenched.

_No doubt they did._

Shaking her head slightly, she took a breath and gently placed her finger on the cool metal of the spyglass. "May I try?"

Loki laughed abruptly, though not entirely kindly. "So not only do you claim to have magic; by your words, you are as strong or stronger than the greatest sorcerers in existence?"

A crooked grin tugged at her lips. "We'll soon see, shan't we?"

For as innocently as she'd said them, the words were clearly a dare, not a question. The amusement faded from his expression as quickly as it had come. His gaze studied her face again, this time more diligently. "Forgive me if I seem a bit skeptical, but I don't believe I recognize you from any of the academies."

"I wasn't trained in an academy."

He furrowed his brow. "What is your name?"

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Gaia _did_ know how to be cautious. For a moment, she wondered what he'd done to Volstagg's prized mug. In another, it occurred to her that he didn't seem sinister in the sense of the threat Frigg seemed to fear - the mug incident hadn't exactly been unprovoked, and the rest of the time, he'd been the only one of the men in the corridor who'd been speaking any sense at all - and so she felt it safe to respond, "Gaia."

If her name was familiar to him, he didn't show it. She paused, and asked the next question only because she was interested in how he'd respond. "And yours?"

He focused back on her, his pale face suddenly drawn. "You already know it." He gestured with a sharp nod of his head toward her door. "How long were you standing there?"

He didn't sound angry, but he certainly wasn't pleased. Yes, she couldn't imagine he'd be happy anyone had overhead that incident; still, for learning that magic did not seem to be as accepted here as she thought, it had been well worth it, so she wasn't sorry she'd been listening.

"Not long," she said ambiguously. When he shifted his gaze sideways at her, his eyebrows raised slightly as if in disbelief, she restated, "Well… long enough." Before he could ask her _exactly_ how long she'd been standing there - that would be embarrassing - she gestured curiously at the shattered glass. "What did it do?"

His mouth, which had been open to no doubt ask her that very question, snapped shut. He hesitated. "It saw through things. Walls, mountains, doors. Very useful in - certain predicaments," he said carefully after a moment.

Suddenly, everything about the past half hour made that much more sense.

Thor, Balder, Fandral and Volstagg weren't just watching the arriving eligible women of the realm… they were looking at them_ through their clothing. _Naked.

Without thought, she slapped a hand over her forehead, shaking her head. "The Valkyries save us," she groaned.

His eyes snapped to hers, shoulders tensing. "What?"

Gaia held up a hand at his unease, still reeling slightly in disgust. "Oh, nothing serious; I've just realized that your brothers and their friends are _complete_ and utter delinquents."

At her words, his brow only furrowed more deeply, as if in incredulity. After a moment, though, his lips twitched in the faintest of smiles. "You may literally be the first to notice."

Gaia looked in disbelief from him to the balcony, from which boisterous singing was now reverberating. "That is truly shocking."

She could have slapped herself as soon as the words left her mouth, and she mentally groaned. Delinquents or not, they were still his _brothers. _"I should warn you, I have a way of sometimes saying _exactly_ what comes to mind."

To her surprise, the tautness that had emanated from his frame suddenly seemed to dissipate. He smiled again, though quickly, and looked down, absently rubbing one finger on the smooth metal of the spyglass. "To be honest, your perspective is refreshing."

She chuckled at that, pleased her words hadn't launched a diplomatic nightmare. "Well, I'm relieved to find someone who shares the sentiment."

He shot her a sudden, startled look then that she didn't quite understand.

She frowned at him, considered asking, but instead reached out for the damaged spyglass. "May I?"

After only a brief hesitation, he handed it to her. It felt incredibly light - which made sense, she thought, observing that the heavy glass of the outer lens was still in a pile beside her, the interior lens soundly cracked. Gaia slowly ran the tip of her finger down the length of it. The enchantment on it was strong; she could feel its heat pushing in protest against her. In the recesses of her mind, voices whispered.

"Alright." She glanced at Loki briefly to find he'd sat back, surveying her with a sharp gaze. "Now - don't interrupt."

She closed her eyes, trying to block the sounds of hooting and laughing from the forefront of her senses. With her magic, she reached out to the magic woven within the damaged spyglass.

_You cannot pass, _the spells' essence said forcefully.

_I do not wish to, _she thought calmly. _I wish only for your help. You must realize the device you were meant to protect was shattered, no longer useful for the purpose for which it was made or to you. Will you use your strength to assist your ward and repair what is broken?_

The pause was long.

_Our power is only to protect; it cannot be put to any other use. _

She'd expected that; she'd encountered Maliketh's Lock twice before. _Were I to allow you access to my own power, so you would not use yours, would you be able to channel it to do what must be done?_

_You would align yourself with us?_

_I trust we will be able to __agreeably_ amalgamate what is needed.

Holding out a tendril of her magic in only the amount she knew was required, she steadied herself for the uncomfortable sensation she knew was to come. And it did, swiftly - a tug directly at the core of her being. Immediately, she clutched a hand to her chest, gasping in a breath.

The sensation vanished. The spyglass felt heavy in her hands.

Gaia opened her eyes. The pile of broken glass that had been on the floor was gone.

Holding back a pleased smile, she looked toward Loki. He was watching her intensely.

Wordlessly, she held out the spyglass. He raised a single eyebrow and took it, rolling it over in his hands before raising it to his eye.

_Doubt away, _she thought complacently.

With the spyglass, Loki looked at the wall to his right. His mouth fell open.

At his visible shock, a smirk burst across her lips. He swung the telescope around gracefully, smoothly, from the wall, to the door, toward the corridor and past her -

The spyglass froze. As quickly as if he'd been burned, he lowered it from his eye, faint color rising to his pale face. "It's as it was," he said quietly, sounding genuinely astonished. She tried to hide the knowing grin from her face, but he must have noticed it because he suddenly eyed her suspiciously. "You're quite adept."

Unexpectedly, renewed caution - hostility, even - filled his tone.

Her brow knitted in confusion. "Thank you?"

His pale gaze never left hers. "Why would you fix it?" he said eventually, almost as if he was posing the question to himself rather than her.

She frowned. She was about to ask why on Midgard or Asgard _wouldn't_ she when a burst of particularly loud laughter chose that moment to ring out from the balcony, Volstagg's booming chortle distinguishable from the rest. Loki's eyes again darted toward the noise before he looked back at her.

Inexplicably, Gaia felt the air around her chill.

"Of course. This is for the toll bridge on Svartheim. I should have guessed sooner."

Her eyes widened in shock._ "What?"_

"Ah," he flashed her a knowing smile that left his eyes cold, "Nice try. But did they really expect me to believe again for even a moment that _you'd_ want to play nice with_ me?"_

She blinked at him, struggling to make sense of whatever he was insinuating. "Are you serious? Who in the Hel are 'they'?"

Pain abruptly flashed across his features. "Do not play games, though clearly you're skilled at it," he hissed, standing abruptly, gripping the spyglass. "They sent you!"

"I was not _sent _by anyone!" she exclaimed in disgust, staring at him in disbelief.

Either Loki deliberately ignored her or simply didn't listen. "I would have expected the Halfwits Three to replicate such a base scheme, but for Thor to agree to it? That _is_ impressive." He held up the spyglass, his melodic voice cracking in anger. "This is a copy, I take it? Are they watching this all in amusement with the genuine artifact from their post on the balcony? Is _Sif_ with them?"

"Now that that you've started yelling, probably!" she snapped, abruptly realizing she'd been caught in the middle of some deeply entrenched rivalry. She felt the situation quickly slipping from her control; she took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on what she _could_ control. Slowing her furious breaths, she got to her feet slightly more calmly than she felt and jabbed her finger at the device. "Listen to yourself; you're spewing nonsense! You can feel that spyglass has old magic."

"Then pardon me if I've no idea as to why you would be ever so obliging," he said sarcastically.

"Because it was broken and I could fix it!" She threw her hands in the air. "Yggdrasil's roots! Why in all the realms wouldn't I? Are you some pariah? Does no one on Asgard assist anyone else with anything at all?"

Something in his expression shifted. For all his vocalization a moment earlier, he didn't respond to any of her questions; in fact, he became quite silent. After being put through Hel's gates, however, Gaia was quite interested in hearing an explanation. She remembered the considerable dislike he and the three warriors on the balcony had seemed to share, how Thor had brushed off his destruction of one of Loki's rare and prized possessions. Was this all somewhat connected?

"Well?" she asked.

Loki paused and opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. Furrowing his brow, he stared hard at the ground, as if contemplating an incomprehensible riddle. "You do not know Asgard?" he eventually asked, sounding as if he had to struggle to force out the words.

A small sigh escaped her lips. _"No," _she said, relieved he had finally _heard_ her. "I arrived this morning."

His shoulders sagged. Lightly, he pinched the bridge of his nose, bowing his head. For several long moments, he was utterly silent. The transformation from minutes earlier was nothing short of astounding; all the fight had seemed to drain from him completely, and Gaia found herself utterly baffled. What in Yggdrasil's name had just transpired? _Why _had he reacted so badly to her friendliness?

"The fault is entirely mine; it is not a reflection on Asgard," he suddenly said faintly before she could voice any of these questions, his quiet voice nearly as equable as it had been before his mood had changed so unexpectedly. "Please accept my deepest apologies for insulting the integrity of your intentions. I - interpreted the situation incorrectly."

Briefly, he held up the spyglass and looked up at her, his face a blank mask. "Thank you for repairing it. I am thoroughly and completely in your debt."

Gaia's eyebrows flew up in disbelief. He'd interpreted the situation _incorrectly? _What could have ever caused him to immediately equate her very presence around him alone to some kind of pernicious plot? She crossed her arms. "You don't even know me; why would you-"

Loki tensed so much then, such dread entering his expression, that she completely altered the course of her comment. "—bind yourself to me so unconditionally?" she finished. Deliberately, she huffed a breath. "You shouldn't thank me yet. I'll only let you keep it if you promise me you will _never_ let those five get their hands on it again."

When he caught sight of the jest in her expression, a weak smile briefly stretched across his own face, but it vanished almost as quickly as it had come. "You have my word."

He studied her, his pale gaze tracing over her face. After a moment, his shoulders straightened, and he took a single step closer. For the first time since she'd seen him, his royal status as Prince of Asgard truly emanated from him.

"Lady Gaia, forgive me for taking so much of your time," he said formally, his expression hospitably neutral, wiped of all real emotion. He bowed stiffly. "I can only hope the remainder of your stay in Asgard is far more pleasant than the exchange you've had with me."

She recalled that _she_ had been the one who'd impulsively opened her bedroom door, and she shook her head. "I offered my time freely. There's nothing to forgive."

Loki looked up at her quickly, straightening at once, his blank expression giving way to confusion. Gaia frowned at the strange reaction. "And I had been enjoying our conversation," she added on afterthought. Before he'd "misinterpreted" the situation.

She had been, she realized. He had spoken with her quite informally, which she had always preferred, they'd discussed magic, always a topic of interest, and he had agreed that Thor and the company he kept were ridiculous, which was obvious. Speaking of which -

_"Wine and women, gold and gild, feasting and fortune let us build -"_

The very thought of stepping _foot_ back into her chambers made Gaia wince. With a pained expression, she pressed her hands to her temples. "Alright. I can't take it anymore. I don't even care how rude this sounds. I live _here." _She pointed at her door. "Is there anyplace nearby I can escape so I do not have to listen to an entire afternoon of _that?"_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: **This chapter is dedicated to Sergris. Your review brought me back to this story - thank you. And thanks to all my lovely readers!

**Chapter 3**

Gaia hadn't the slightest idea of what the Asgardian Prince thought of her dilemma - no doubt about it, his ability to school his features rivaled that of a seasoned performer - but after only a brief hesitation and a fleeting scan of her face with sharp eyes, Loki nodded once. "I imagine you would prefer quiet?"

She pursed her lips, contemplating the question. "Quiet… or space shared with persons of substance."

Rather than smiling at what she had thought was a clearly joking tone, he furrowed his brow slightly and stared at her oddly for a moment before he spoke. "There's a library not far from here. Might that satisfy your criteria?"

Gaia let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Perfectly."

He turned and set off down a marbled corridor leading to the interior of the palace. Swiftly making a mental note of the appearance of her own room's auxiliary entrance in the architectural maze that was sure to follow, Gaia followed. Conversationalist Loki was not, and her attention wandered; she slowed every now and then to scrutinize towering golden sculptures that lined the hallways: fierce Asgardian warriors, muscled horses, larger-than-life birds of prey, wings spread mid-flight.

Like any proud civilization, Asgard was certainly one for grand gestures.

As she passed a narrow, arched doorway, her eyes caught a flash of green, her ears the sound of trickling water. Her feet froze; something tugged at the very core of her being. Before she could stop herself, she felt herself drawn to the open air door.

"Ah, Lady Gaia-" Suddenly, Loki was standing directly in front of her, his lean but tall frame blocking her view and her path. With the movement, the pull inside Gaia's chest felt as though it had been abruptly severed. "This isn't quite the library, I'm afraid. If you'd follow me, we aren't far off."

She peered around him. A pulse of energy again beckoned to her. "What's through there?"

He gave a short laugh, his face relaxing into an easy grin. Given the difficulty he seemed to have with smiling earlier, she was certain this one was feigned. "Nothing of substance, I assure you."

_I doubt that._

He held out his hand toward the primary corridor, indicating she should resume the path.

Gaia had lost all interest in the library.

"Is it forbidden to enter this room?"

The smile vanished from his face. "It is… not advised."

"But is it forbidden?" she repeated determinedly, searching his gaze for a response, the unmistakable sound of water tumbling against rocks calling to her soul.

For the briefest of moments, he seemed surprised, but his eyes clouded, his expression becoming quite indistinguishable. After a moment, he looked away. "Those who do enter often regret it," he said quietly.

The words were not a threat but an observation; Gaia could sense no malevolence from him, and that was all she needed. She nodded. "Then I take full responsibility for my actions and my regret."

When she stepped around him, he made no move to stop her.

Climbing a short set of stone stairs - oddly covered with moss, for a glittering palace interior so scrubbed of natural life - she entered a circular room wrapped around nothing less than a waterfall grandly tumbling from on high into a stone-lined, glittering turquoise pool in the center of the room. Trees grew out of the very cracks of the speckled walls around her - some sprouting some twenty feet above her head. Tilting her head back, she traced the path of the waterfall… up to swirling clouds, and beyond them, a distinctive glass ceiling far above, through which sunlight streamed.

The water was cascading down from thin air.

Gaia could literally feel magic pulsing around her.

She inhaled deeply. Energy sang through her veins. For the first time since she had left the dappled hills of Midgard early that morning, she felt truly at home.

A presence shifted behind her. She turned her head to find Loki standing stiffly in the doorframe, his dark figure partially blending with the greenery and moisture-darkened pebbled walls. She recalled his words from moments earlier, and she felt her brow knit. "How could anyone regret such a place?"

After a moment, he raised and lowered one shoulder in response. "It is unfamiliar. Abnormal," he said quietly. Curiously, his hands tightened into fists, and he crossed his arms, momentarily casting his gaze toward the ground before he looked back at her. "And that which is unfamiliar is often met with fear and scorn, is it not?"

At the intensity, even challenge to his gaze, Gaia swiftly realized that he wasn't just talking about the room, which was, despite its oddities, still the epitome of natural beauty, in her eyes.

"For as much as people think they know, they have much more to learn," she agreed with a sigh, shaking her head and shifting her gaze to the remainder of the room. Instruments and books lined the walls, dispersed on shelves between shrubbery and dangling roots; the occasional seat was embedded in stone or the twisted trunk of a wall-grown tree. "What is this place?"

When he didn't immediately respond, she glanced back at him inquisitively; he was watching her intently.

"It is a… practice room," he finally responded.

"For the magical arts, I assume."

A curious mix of surprise and suspicion flooded his eyes. "Yes."

Gaia moved deeper into the room, carefully running her fingers over the ridges and knobs of a beautifully carved armillary sphere, the smooth, solid leaf of an aloe plant, the spines of old tomes oozing with magic and mysteries, somehow still dry despite the waterfall's mist.

She was fully aware that Loki's suddenly distrustful scrutiny followed her every move.

Oh, she was used to being met with skepticism - as she increasingly was on Earth, many of its rulers clinging to new religions and growing ever more fearful of magic where they had once walked in it, worshipped its natural rhythms and seasons. But she was wholly unused to suspicion being quite so palpable in her interactions with the supernatural beings of the Vanir, Aesir, elves, and Jotunns; the experiences she had had with him this afternoon were beyond peculiar.

After a moment, she decided to voice the question that had been gnawing at her since Volstagg had denounced it. "Is magic really so terrible here?"

Loki blinked, startled out of his accusatory stare. "What?"

"You can hardly say the word around me. Is it not accepted?"

He hesitated, his jaw visibly tightening slightly. "Perhaps it is not… as highly regarded… as other talents," he said grudgingly, his melodic voice quiet enough it was difficult to hear it over the waterfall.

Gaia shook her head in disbelief. "I cannot express how shocking that is to me. I would have thought that on Asgard…"

She trailed off. Perhaps it was better to not voice that particular sentiment to a prince of the realm. After all, she'd only just arrived, and the palace obviously supported some places of magic, like this one. Perhaps Asgard was not as devoid of what Gaia considered a beautiful and highly useful art as it seemed.

Loki finally stepped fully into the room, his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry; where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't." Her heart panged slightly at the thought of revisiting the death of her mother again so soon after she'd spoken about it with Frigg; no doubt she'd have to if she mentioned she was an Aesir living on Midgard. "But it is not Asgard."

His pale eyes darkened, if that was possible, and he gave a short laugh, a chilly smile flashing across his features. "And in your realm - _wherever_ that may be - magic is widely accepted."

Gaia narrowed her eyes. Perhaps Volstagg and the Balcony Five were a bit uncouth, but in that moment, she could see how they would have pegged Loki as a propagator of mischief. She lifted her chin. "Just because I have not divulged to you my life history does not necessitate the summoning of snark."

His eyebrows raised, and he threw out his hand, gesturing around him. "I'm sorry; you've invaded a room that I particularly value asking questions of me when I know very little of you. Forgive me if I'm a bit suspicious."

"You seem a bit suspicious of everything," she countered evenly.

Loki froze, clenching the branch of a shrub alongside him. The end of the branch began to wilt. "Perhaps I have reason to be," he hissed, his gaze suddenly and sharply accusing.

The gentle mist from the waterfall suddenly felt icy, sharp against her face. A storm was coming, Gaia could feel it, but they were both in too far for her to even want to backtrack now. "What reason?" She crossed her arms, truly curious of what he'd have to say. "And don't say it's because you're a prince, because based on your brothers' insouciance, I won't buy it."

Something flashed behind his eyes, and he drew himself up as if preparing for battle, again smiling a cruel smile devoid of any real emotion. "Oh, you're very good. They chose you much better than they did the last. Did you know, for a moment, I actually did believe you were truly from another realm?"

"By the Valkyries _wings-"_ She groaned and pressed her hands to her temples; his abrupt personality changes were making her head bloody _spin._

As if he hadn't even heard or noticed her reaction, Loki continued harshly, "Bold, intelligent, beautifully tempting, so _understanding-" _he twisted the word into a snarl that made it sound like a curse. "Are you truly that ignorant? You know exactly who I am, what kind of havoc I'm capable of _wreaking_ upon anyone who dares cross me, yet you still do not fear me?" For a moment, his voice cracked. "What magnificent thing have they promised you in return?"

Gaia drew herself up to her full height - it was the posture that counted more than the distance - and glared at him. "I will not even dignify that with an answer. If we're going to keep coming back to this during perfectly civil conversations, I think you should leave."

Loki stared at her blankly for a moment. "Leave - Leave?" he repeated in astonishment. "This chamber is my personal study!"

"Well then _I'll_ leave!" Gaia marched back around the waterfall toward the entryway, pausing as she passed the prince, and shoved a finger toward his tensed chest. _"_And if you continue to suspect me of I know not what heinous deed, I strongly suggest you avoid engaging me for the remainder of the Jubilee!"

* * *

Tony smirked. "Now that sounds like the paranoid megalomaniac we all know and hate. Already _wreaking_ havoc at so young an age." He snorted and shook his head before turning to Pepper. "That man has breathtaking psychological issues."

"In his defense, he did legitimately have a good reason."

"Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe."

Pepper poked him. "Tony, let her tell the story…"

Gaia sat back and regarded Tony in all his smug confidence. "Tony Stark. So quick to judge, when you've had your fair share of distrust and suspicion toward the intentions of many for much of your life."

Any amusement in Tony's expression vanished. Concern immediately crossed Pepper's face. She turned toward her boyfriend. "Tony, what —?"

Tony was glaring daggers at Gaia. "Let's not revisit it. We're not revisiting it!" he repeated when Pepper continued to hover. He pointed his now-empty tumbler across the sofa. "I am now calling you Qus. Do you know what that stands for? _Queen of Uncomfortable Statements._ That was an extrapolation and quite frankly an abuse of all-knowing power. Maybe you're right, maybe you're not, but I didn't try to blow up planets and kill my own brother to compensate for it… or I wouldn't have if I'd had one," he added in afterthought.

Gaia arched an eyebrow. "No. But you created the technology for someone else to."

He blinked. "Okay. We're all going to pretend this part of the conversation never happened. _Qus._ Because I am actually starting to understand why that psychotic megalomanic got annoyed." He frowned, then aggressively wiped his nose with his thumb. "And that's disturbing."

"So let me get this right; somehow, after that fantastic start, the two of you became… friends?" Pepper cut in, shifting on the couch.

"I'm still waiting to find out why. Unless she's one screw looser than we all thought," Tony interjected grumpily, crossing his arms and sulkily staring out the window.

Gaia ignored him and smiled slightly at Pepper. "He found out soon after that I wasn't exactly what he thought I was, and in the name of inter-realm diplomacy felt the need to grovel."

After a moment, Tony looked back at her, a reluctant smile pulling across his sullen face. "Well, I like where that's going."

* * *

Gaia pulled out the final drawer of the last dresser lining the commodious keep that was her closet, searching unsuccessfully for a pair of her riding breaches.

The drawer was empty.

Oh, that's right - women were domesticated here. She wouldn't be surprised if the servants had burned them the second they'd come across them.

She let out a sigh of frustration. Well, so much for going on a good ride to clear an extraordinarily long day from her system. With the Welcome Banquet that night still several hours away, it wasn't even near conclusion.

Abandoning the search, she settled for a nap on a luxuriously padded chaise on the balcony instead. The raucous yells and festivities on the balcony beside hers had become sporadic and much more subdued as the noontime sun had sank into late afternoon, thank the heavens. And, despite the very nature of the Coming of Age Jubilee, for Gaia, this _was_ supposed to be a vacation from diplomatic obligations, from the need to get involved with affairs of realm.

_Good luck with that,_ thought her practical side. She tried to beat it back as she gratefully sank into the soft material of the chaise. It wasn't quite the same as a sandy beach, but it very nearly rivaled it, and she closed her eyes…

Very nearby, a loud snore reverberated.

She snickered, and couldn't help but laugh as the first snore was followed by an accompanying cacophony of varying octaves.

_Clearly, admiring women from afar is exhausting work. _

The mirth slowly fell from her face as she thoughtfully turned back to Frigg's dire sense of foreboding and then her confrontation with Loki.

It was clear he wasn't as popular and well-liked as his fairer brothers, perhaps fueling a dislike for these kinds of celebrations, but that didn't mean she could automatically assume he was capable of some deeper treachery toward them. Beyond her initial irritation that he'd struck out against her every kindness, she had noticed that he hadn't deliberately sought to antagonize her specifically; he only _had_ done it when she'd been kind and, beyond that, when she'd prodded farther into his personality than he was likely comfortable with sharing.

For a reason that she strongly suspected had to do with the men snoring peacefully nearby, the darker prince had expected the worst from her - she, who was, to him, simply another young woman of the realm - and, like a wounded, starving animal, had bit the hand that sought to feed it.

That didn't mean his behavior toward her hadn't deserved a slap in the face, but it least it made sense.

But if he could not trust his brothers or even an innocent young woman… did he have the ability to trust anyone at all?

Gaia was so lost in thought she at first didn't hear the knock from the depths of her chambers. When several came in a row, each louder than the one before, she stood, frowning. The sound was not coming from the rooms' primary entrance, but rather - from the side door, the one that emptied into the balconied corridor.

Through her mind flashed a vision of a thoroughly inebriated Volstagg or Fandral standing on the other side, holding a drooping rose or lost on their way to the kitchens with an empty jug of grog. Shaking her head in amusement at the thought, she opened the door.

None other than Loki himself stood stiffly on the other side.

Her mouth dropped slightly.

_Would have taken the drunken suitor._

Even if she might have been able to understand his earlier actions, Valhalla knew she still had her pride, and plenty of it!

Immediately, she moved to shut the door again. "You must be lost; this room is closed for arguments."

Swiftly, his hand flashed out, catching the door a moment before it closed. "I know you must be angry and I certainly understand why," he said hurriedly, the words tripping smoothly over his lips in his rush to get them out. "But please allow me to at least try to make amends before you rightfully shut me out."

Gaia paused and considered his request.

_Oh Hel. _

She opened the door again and leaned against the smooth marble doorframe, crossing her arms. Loki looked up at her quickly from the base of the sandstone steps leading to her room; despite that, he was still nearly as tall as she. His appearance had changed slightly, and she realized he'd donned an emerald cape.

_This should be interesting. _

Compared to earlier, his expression was shockingly open, and he seemed visibly relieved. "Thank you."

Gaia studied him in surprise. "Politeness. That's a new one."

His mouth opened and closed. "That was deserved."

"You bet it was."

Her response seemed to throw him off guard for the slightest of moments, but he straightened his shoulders and held up a hand, his green eyes boring into hers with alarming sincerity.

"Please, I do not wish to be the cause of any misunderstanding between your realm and Asgard," he said quietly. "I made entirely incorrect assumptions about you based upon what I have known to be true of similar situations in the past. I was very much mistaken, and I'll be the first to admit it. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I would like for you to understand."

His words were incredibly elegant, and Gaia suspected they had been carefully scripted. Curiosity clenched her, but she sensed it was not the appropriate time to ask. Instead, she inquried dryly, "And from where do these newfound apologetics originate?"

He looked offended that she had even asked, stepping back and spreading his hands. "Why - as soon as you'd gone, I realized I'd made a grievous error. It was wrong of me to ever suspect someone of your eminence of treachery. Of course, I came as soon as I-"

Gaia looked at him in disbelief and burst out laughing.

Loki stopped speaking abruptly, his eyes darkening and narrowing. "I don't see how any of this is amusing," he said, sounding indignant.

She took a heavy breath, restraining her laughter. "Oh no, I'm sorry, that's just - that was really good."

Perfect confusion burst across his face. His eyes again briefly darted toward the brothers' balcony.

"Someone of my eminence," Gaia said, repeating his words. "I never told you anything about my _eminence, _and you certainly didn't think me so eminent back in your study. So perhaps you can tell me again exactly how you came to know of my eminence."

Loki laughed, his eyes wide and innocent. "I assure you, I never doubted…"

He trailed off as, unimpressed and undaunted, she stared hard at him, again crossing her arms. His shoulders rose and sank in a small sigh, and he lowered his gaze, his stiff posture slumping slightly. "I spoke with the Queen," he murmured tensely. "She… shared with me your - story."

Now _that_ made sense.

"Mm-hm." Gaia frowned, wondering why he had chosen to tell her an outright lie rather than the simple truth. "I'm glad to know my reputation has been… corroborated."

Loki stared at her for a moment, something that was quite the opposite of confidence and conviction crossing his expression for the first time since he'd arrived at her doorstep, as if he was now entirely unsure of how to proceed.

_The truth might be a good start, _she thought.

After a minute, he looked down, hastily pulling from within the folds of his clothes a slender, smooth wooden box. "I… hope you will accept this as a token of my apology, Your Majesty." He handed it to her, avoiding her gaze.

"Please. Just Gaia," she responded automatically, running her fingers over nearly perfect, intricate floral designs carved into the cherry-colored wood. She opened it curiously.

Inside was a thin silver bracelet lined with jade.

Her eyebrows raised dubiously.

"I do not for one minute think to buy your forgiveness," Loki said immediately, voicing the very thought hovering on the tip of her tongue. "The bracelet is a tool. The study you entered earlier - the Empyrean Room - It is one of only three outside the Academies that has been tuned for magical training. It's a wonderful resource for those who appreciate the art. I think someone of your proficiency would enjoy it… very much. I offer it to you for your full use for the entirety of your stay."

She looked at him in surprise; he didn't seem to notice, instead nodding toward the bracelet. "Since the room was bestowed to me, one needs my permission to enter. That bracelet will allow you to come and go whenever you like, without my presence." A taunt smile briefly stretched across his lips, and he gave a small, mirthless laugh. "Which, I'd imagine, you'd by now much prefer to avoid."

She recalled how the magic had seemed to sing to her when she entered, how much it had felt like _home,_ and a smile spread across her face before she knew it. Yes, she certainly would not hesitate to return.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

Loki's gaze shot back to hers with just as much surprise, as if he didn't think she would actually accept his offering. He nodded, a weak but unforced smile briefly touching his features. For a moment, it appeared as though he wanted to speak again, but he instead furrowed his brow and looked back down at the marble floor. "I'm grateful to Your Majes - to you for granting me an audience," he said quietly, stepping backward, away from her door.

She frowned. "Was there something else?"

He looked up at her swiftly, then away. His right hand tightened into a fist, with the other, he gently touched his forehead, visibly hesitating. After a moment, he took a breath. "I… realize I may not have made the most favorable first impression. But might you - ever - consider instructing me to repair the spyglass as you did?"

_Oh._

Now Gaia had a much clearer understanding of exactly where his heartfelt apology was coming from.

"Let me make sure I understand you," she said carefully. "Perhaps you did incorrectly suspect me of a… misdeed, but still you repeatedly insulted my person and did not particularly delight in my company. But now that you know I am not a delinquent but in fact a respected member of the community, you wish to make amends so that I will share with you the secrets of my power?"

"No! I did not —!" Loki closed his eyes for a minute, inhaling deeply, and briefly pinched the bridge of his nose. "I did not for a moment think you a delinquent, nor despise your company. I only questioned why you of all people would choose to enter my company in the first place." He sighed softly. "Now I see you simply knew no better."

The fire of battle ripped through her chest. Perhaps it was traveling by Bifrost, perhaps it was an afternoon of listening to Thor and company's drunken proclamations of love, perhaps Loki himself had pushed her farther than she'd thought, but in a moment, she'd shoved her shoulder off the marble doorframe to stand tall. She felt her hair crackle; she didn't care.

Immediately, Loki's imperturbable expression shifted to one of actual alarm. "I did not mean-"

"I know what you meant. I just arrived from another realm; I couldn't possibly have realized how disliked you truly are, and if I had, I certainly would have never followed you into that room unless I was compelled or conspiring to do so, is that right?"

Something flashed behind his eyes, and Gaia knew, instinctively, that she was not far off. She let out a frustrated breath. Did no man here give any woman credit to trust her own judgement? "Yggrasil's _roots…"_ she cursed under her breath, holding a hand up to her forehead and shoving her fingers through her hair.

When she looked back at Loki, emotion had been replaced by vacant and utter indifference.

"I deeply apologize for again insulting you, Gaia of Midgard," he said placidly, the sound as smooth as silk. "I do hope I've not permanently sullied your stay in Asgard - it's all been just a bit of fun, really." He gave a short, stiff bow and stood back coolly, his smile cordial but his eyes cold. "Do enjoy your use of the Empyrean Room."

_Sweet Valhalla - here we go again._

He turned away - once again running when she'd hit too close to home.

And Gaia suddenly realized exactly how she could sort truth from tale from the middle prince for herself, know if he truly was a viable threat, or if he was simply feared because he was, in his own words, "unfamiliar" to the magic-snubbing Asgardians. She didn't know why she cared to know the truth. She just did.

Swallowing her fierce but fleeting ire, she said calmly, "I will show you how to repair the spyglass on two conditions."

Loki froze, his cape swishing to a stop around his feet.

"One: You will stop questioning my good intentions. Two: These masks you put up at every turn and evasions and stories you weave so _well…_ you will not use them, when you're with me."

The visible side of his face blanched, his lips parting in visible shock. Slowly, he turned back round to look at her, his eyes wide.

"Give me your word, Loki Odinson, and I will teach you that which you seek to know - how to repair the spyglass, how to communicate with magic of old. Sacred, ancient truths that for some inexplicable reason have clearly been kept from you on Asgard - I will share them with you, if you give me your word."

A round of slow, drunken laugher trickled from the balcony. At the sound, Loki visibly winced and blinked rapidly, looking at his feet. His hands clenched at his sides, the fingers of his left gripping the thick material of his cape. In that moment, he couldn't have looked less like an Asgardian prince and more like a young man who was simply, incredibly… lost.

In that moment, Gaia was confident in the offer she had extended to him.

Seconds passed.

She studied him regretfully. "You won't do it, will you?"

Her words seemed to shake him from whatever frozen state he was in. In the span of a short inhalation, he drew himself up again, aristocratic authority returning to his long frame. He regarded her severely. "You would give me your solemn word that you will teach me what you say you will. And that you have no ulterior motive for doing so."

"I would," she said without hesitation.

The seconds turned to minutes and still he stared at her, his eyes ruminative but distant, his jaw clenched, brow furrowed deeply.

What had happened to him to make him distrust so deeply, so pervasively?

After several long moments of silence, Gaia nodded once to herself and stepped backward, reaching for the gilded handle of the door and pulling it shut.

A second before it closed, his melodic voice came from the hallway, low, resigned, entirely shifted from the assurance it had held only minutes earlier.

"You have my word."

The four words sounded like a struggle for him to get out.

A small smile touched her lips, but she swiftly dismissed it; this was certainly not a victory, but only the beginning of something new and very uncertain. When she opened the door again, he slowly raised his gaze to her, and though his face was impassive, his eyes held such dread one would think he'd signed his own death sentence.

Gaia descended the stairs until she stood in front of him. "Then you also have my word that I will not betray the confidence you have just placed in me."

She held out her hand.

Loki looked from her face, to her hand, and back again before he reached out and closed long, cold fingers around hers.

Twin streams of green and blue looped in figure eights around their wrists.

The words were binding.

The agreement was done.


End file.
